Giga Berlin’s next expansion won’t just mean more Model Ys. Speaking at the Automobilwoche Congress in Berlin, plant manager André Thierig said that if Tesla builds a second factory at the site, “we won’t be building another Model Y factory,” according to a translated report from Automobilwoche.
Thierig didn’t say what that factory would build, and no decision has been made on a second factory or a new product yet.
What Could Giga Berlin Build Next?
Many fans have hoped for a cheaper, compact Tesla for Europe, but the Model 2 was reportedly shelved in early 2024 as Tesla shifted its focus to robotaxis. Instead, Tesla launched cheaper Standard versions of the Model 3 and Model Y.
A new Model 2 or Model Q could secretly still be in the works, but the more likely candidate is the Cybercab. Musk said earlier this year that it’s the “most likely next major product” for Giga Berlin, with Optimus possibly following, and he recently said he hopes to bring the Cybercab to Europe soon. Tesla is also taking the Cybercab on a tour of Europe right now, with four stops in Germany, including Berlin.
Tesla has finished clearing land for the expansion and plans to submit a building application in 2026. It’s part of a broader plan to expand Giga Berlin and eventually take its output to 1 million vehicles per year.
Giga Berlin Keeps Growing
“We are probably the only ones in Germany who are currently growing,” Thierig said, according to the translated report.
Tesla just hired 2,000 new workers in Grünheide and is ramping Model Y production to 7,500 vehicles per week, with a car coming off the line every 45 seconds across 15 shifts a week. That gets the plant closer to its maximum capacity of 375,000 vehicles a year. Earlier this year, Tesla announced a production ramp and 1,000 new hires, followed by the 7,500-per-week target and another 1,000 hires. Giga Berlin celebrated building its 750,000th vehicle this year.
Battery cell production is also on the way. Giga Berlin already makes electrodes, which are shipped to Texas to be turned into cells and sent back. Full cell production in Grünheide is set to begin by mid-2027, which would make it the first European plant to build everything from battery cells to finished cars at one site.
Thierig also said Tesla won’t budge on its 38-hour work week, calling a cut to 35 hours “a red line for us.”
Tesla still hasn’t confirmed what a second Berlin factory would build. With the building application due before the end of the year, we should know more soon.
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